I want to go out into the woods and weave a basket with materials I find. I live in Massachusetts and I'm having a hard time finding what I could use.
I was reading that a local Native American tribe would use sweet grass, but that's really about it. Couldn't find out how to make the basket with sweet grass either.
Strictly looking to find the mats in the woods and make on my own. Prefer not to buy anything. Or if you can recommend something that isn't weaving a basket I'd be interested.
Look into pine straw baskets. They are made with really long pine needles. Easy to find assuming you know what a pine tree looks like. The longer the better.
Good luck!
Grass coil baskets op, thats what you wanna look up, super easy to make and it sounds like youve got the right materials available.
>>1001356
Use twigs. You should have birch saplings around there.
>>1001356
experiment with what ever resources you can find , have a look outside and see whats good
>>1001579
I did see these online. Took a peak in the woods and didn't find long enough needles. Will take a longer stroll this time.
>>1001581
Do you have any recommendations to use in instead of the raffia?
>>1001603
Ill take a peak. Thanks!
>>1001609
I plan on doing that after I make my first basket. So I have a better idea.
>>1001654
You'll probably have an easier time with willow twigs. Long, thin, straight, flexible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHXtVYq7bjc
Key thing with weaving a spoke basket is that when you start you have to insert a single half length spoke so you have an odd number of radial twigs to weave in and out between.
>>1001356
You can use literally anything to weave a basket.
Pine straw is a common material if you've got pine trees, or just about any grass, or even shredded tree bark.
Seriously, just use your imagination. Imagine you're a primitive human and you need a basket. Take a look about you and see what you have at hand that could be of use... And use it.
Look on YouTube at the primitive living dude. I've seen him do weaving and weaving on a loom too, which will save time after the initial construction. He seems to use stripped bark fibres usually. His loom was just sticks and bark fibre also.
Much credit to the dude, he does it all properly and well. I'm figuring he's a college professor in primitive studies.
Find a small white oak tree and make splints from it. A little labor intensive, but a satisifying project.